Why Europe’s Jews Are Fleeing Once Again

It’s not a flattering picture Adam LeBor of Newsweek gives of my hometown:

Malmo, Sweden’s third-largest city, is one of the most unsettling places in Europe for Jews. Anti-Semitic attacks tripled between 2010 and 2012, when the community, around 700-strong, recorded 60 incidents. In October 2012 a bomb exploded at the Jewish community centre.

Jewish leaders accused Ilmar Reepalu, who served as mayor between 1994 and 2013, of inflammatory comments. Reepalu called for Jews to distance themselves from Zionism, and claimed that the Jewish community had been “infiltrated” by the Sweden Democrats party, which has its roots in the far-right. Reepalu has denied being anti-Semitic. But his remarks provoked a storm of protest and he was forced to retract them. Hannah Rosenthal, the former US Special Envoy for combating anti-Semitism, said Malmo was a prime example of the “new anti-Semitism” where hatred of Israel is used to disguise hatred of Jews.

What he writes is correct, but I disagree with the statement that Malmö is one of the most unsettling places in Europe for Jews. There are places with far greater problems than Malmö. Overall, this is a good city for Jews. What made Malmö special was the racist mayor who never missed an opportunity to blame Jews for everything—including neo-Nazism. By doing so, the city’s top politician legitimised anti-Semitic violence carried out by a radical few on the far left. But this mayor has now resigned and the new one is an outspoken supporter of the Jews in Malmö.

(Photo by Dnalor 01.)